The Second Archon War, Carmen Dei 19 (Patreon)

Carmen Dei 19: An Ill Wind Blows

Despite their best intentions to depart Berlin at the crack of dawn, German punctuality actually failed, and they departed closer to 8am than not. This was after a mostly sleepless night, but the plan was to stop in Eichstätt, rest for a few hours, then proceed with the last hour or so to Munich and assault the Gesellschaft compound there.

Just as they were all climbing into the various cars, vans, and trucks they had assembled, Vornehm arrived, along with a dozen capes from the Meisters, and several armored cars loaded with what looked like a company of GSG9 troops in heavy kit. The Gentleman Cape himself was standing leaning on his cane in the road outside of the Dandelion’s Breeze, his capes and several officers around him.

“I am afraid we are going to have to ask all of you to disperse,” Vornehm said firmly. “While we have overlooked your formation of a new parahuman organization, we cannot allow open warfare within the borders of Germany.”

Capri opened her mouth to say something biting that probably would have incited a fight, but Naomi put her hand on Capri’s arm and she shut her mouth. Instead, Cookie stepped forward, pulling her mask down and looking about.

“War? I don’t know what you’re talking about. This is my LARP group. We’re going to be doing some Vampire the Masquerade, we got the props for it and everything. You boys and girls are welcome to join if you want.”

A thin smile formed on Vornehm’s lips, even as the Knights fanned out to either side of Cookie and the Meisters spread out. Then he caught sight of the imposing armored figure stepping to Cookie’s right, and Vornehm’s humor vanished. “So, you switch sides so easily, Hospitallar? I thought you valued oaths more than that.”

“Once, good men stood aside, and Germany was overrun with monsters. I am standing on the side that is taking action, Vornehm. Where do you stand?” Hospitallar demanded, his voice echoing slightly from his helm.

“I stand on the side of law and order. The Meisters and the GSG will take action against the Gesellschaft, but we cannot allow lawlessness,” Vornehm said firmly. He glanced up, and his frown deepened. “Or foreign intervention in our own affairs.”

“Leon and Gunter are personal friends of mine,” Legend stated, hovering just over the heads of the crowd of knights along with Vorreiter, who was drifting on her glider, goggles over her eyes, stern expression on her face, and wings loaded with fluffy Baron Bunnies. Dorothy fluttered alongside her in moth form, her wings glowing with green light. “I’m here to help save them.”

“And when I contacted Director Costa-Brown, she denied any direct Protectorate involvement. Curious,” Vornehm said. He turned to the crowd, obviously searching for someone. “Where is Venti? Do not hide behind your puppets. I would speak with you face to face.”

“Puppets?” Capri said with a snort. “Are you serious? Do you even know him at all?”

There were a few murmurs and chuckles from the Knights, but Vornehm and the Meisters didn’t look amused in the slightest.

“If Venti will not show himself, then I am afraid that leaves me little choice,” Vornehm repeated. “You will disperse, and set aside this foolish crusade!”

There were angry mutters from the knights, but Cookie raised a hand to quell them to silence. After a moment, she pointed a finger at Vornehm. “The only reason we are here is because you were not doing your job.”

Vornehm went purple at that and opened his mouth, but Cookie continued, “I’m not finished, and if you’re half the reasonable gentleman you claim to be, you’ll let me finish my statement.” That earned her a curt nod, and she went on, “You know this country’s gone to hell. This whole world has gone to hell. And it’s because we just keep following the same, broken systems. You let the Nazis back in because you thought they were a stick to use against the Endbringers. Am I wrong?”

Vornehm’s jaw worked for a moment. “They have gone too far this time. We will deal with them, but we must follow-”

“That’s bullshit and you know it!” Cookie snapped, taking a step forward, which made two GSG troopers' guns snap up. They got cold looks from Cookie, who took another deliberate step forward. “You had a chance to deal with them. Well, here’s my offer: you let us clean up your mess, and we’ll be your stick against the Endbringers. Because I promise you this: Venti might not be willing to fight the Nazis himself, but I’m willing to bet an Endbringer qualifies for divine intervention.”

“It does, actually,” Capri agreed, looking around. “Where is that spoony bard?”

“Final Fantasy!” Itul said, snapping his fingers even as Capri went beet red. “I love those games too!”

“That is not how this works,” Vornehm declared, tapping his cane on the ground in irritation. “There is a procedure to these matters, a right way to do things.”

“Fine. Deputize us,” Cookie said, folding her arms over her chest.

“I…beg your pardon?” Vornehm said, frowning at her.

“Deputize us,” Cookie repeated. “Under Article 143 of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany: Parahumans, later amended by Article 145 to include Vision Holders, may be formally deputized by officers of the law to perform judicial actions, including but not limited to End Bringers, parahuman threads, or times of national disaster or distress. A case I am certain you will remember, Herr Bueller v. Meisters, indicated that members of the nationally sponsored cape team, in this case, the Meisters, may be deputized to help fight other parahumans during attacks against the common good.”

Vornehm raised a hand in protest. “Yes, but-”

“-and while Germany does not follow case law, in this case, the ruling was later legally formalized into the law known commonly as the Deputy Cape Law, and has been held up in court and used to sustain various rulings, including holding the government responsible for actions capes performed while deputized.”

“That does not incentivize me to deputize you all now,” Vornehm said, sounding rather exasperated at this point. “We do not need a war in Germany!”

“Too bad, you have one. Because those assholes are going to keep attacking good German citizens for daring to not bow to them, or for the crime of being gay. Because you and I both know that’s the real reason the Feisty Ferret was attacked,” Cookie said, her voice now low and menacing. “So are you going to stand there and pretend the laws apply here in Germany? Just, you know, so long as you’re not what the Gesellschaft and the Land and Social Reform Party deem undesirable.”

“That is not what is intended, and you know it,” Vornehm said, though he looked like he was growing distinctly uncomfortable, as were the GSG and Meister capes.

“Vorneheim, the Meisters failed,” Hospitallar said, stepping forward. “We stood aside and did nothing for too long. I stood aside and did nothing for too long. Now we have a chance to make it right. I’m a Meister, and I officially sanctioned this meeting as my deputies.”

“You did?” Vornehm said, frowning at the mention.

“Eeyup!”

All eyes turned to the green garbed bard that stumbled out of the Dandelion's Breeze, his cheeks red and flushed, an open bottle of wine in one hand. He staggered into Cookie who shoved Venti off with an irritated hiss, then grinned at Vornehm. “We got the papers and everything! Show him, Cookie!”

“I don’t…” Cookie began…then frowned, patting at the pouch on her belt Venti had bumped into. Slowly, she pulled out what sure looked like a legally binding contract, with several pages, and dozens of signatures on it.

“I, Hospitaliar of the Meisters, do hereby exercise my lawful right to designate deputies in time of crisis, and anoint…it goes on for some time,” Cookie said, passing the paper over to Vornehm as he read through the papers. “Anyway, here’s my signature and all the others. Looks like everyone here signed.”

“I don’t remember-” Itul began until Sara elbowed him hard in the gut. “I mean, yeah! I totally did that! I’m the Red‘’Signed The Right Paperwork’ Oni!”

Vornehm looked at the signatures on the documents, then up at Cookie, then back down. Then he started to laugh. “Well played, Mageister Luft. Well played.”

“Me? I didn’t do anything,” Venti said innocently, then took a swig of the wine and let out a sonorous belch. “Well, are we going to go kick Nazi ass, or what!?”

“It seems all the paperwork is in order,” Vorehm said, passing the papers over to a GSG colonel, who began to read through them with a baffled expression on his face. “Very well. As this is, in fact, a legally sanctioned operation, and not an act of crude vigilantism…” He tapped his cane on the pavement twice, like a judge's gavel. “I hereby reaffirm Hospitallar’s designation of those present as deputies of the Meisters to deal with the situation in Munich.”

“So, you’re going to get out of our way?” Cookie demanded, her eyes not leaving the GSG colonel.

The officer folded the papers and handed them back to Cookie. “All is in order, it seems.”

“Stand aside?” Vornehm raised his aristocratic eyebrow, and everyone tensed. Shaking his head ruefully, he leaned onto his cane, one hand on another, “My dear girl, I believe I’m what you would call reinforcements.”

There were very few remaining Gesellschaft facilities in Germany, and the one in Munich had not been particularly important. Perhaps that was why Venti had ignored it when he had visited the city. It had originally lacked any labs, instead being nothing more than an office complex with facilities to house the capes that were to enforce order in the city. It had been new enough that there had been no capes here only a month ago, but it had been set to expand.

Now, the offices were packed full, and the Gesellschaft had seized Alter Hof, the former Imperial Residence of Louis IV of the Holy Roman Empire. The building had been destroyed during the Second World War, but it had been rebuilt, and Walter Von Solf had seized it as his own imperial residence. Now, he was surrounded by his capes, paramilitary units armed with conventional weapons, and every symbol of opulence and power he could find.

He sat now in his crisp white suit with gold pince-nez glasses, red pocket handkerchief taken out and spread across his neck as a napkin as he ate his breakfast, which in this case were cuts of fresh ham and warm rolls, procured from a diner not far away, as the Gesellschaft had neglected to bring any cooks, or even sufficient provisions, with them to their new headquarters.

Richard, along with a few other high-level lieutenants, had joined Walter for breakfast and was talking with forced joviality as they waited for the news that they knew had to come: Venti and his minions were either in the city and attacking, or would be there soon. Being on the defensive was something Richard hated, but they had their plans for dealing with Venti when he arrived.

When a worried looking minion hurried into the room and made his way over to Walter, the discussion quieted instantly. When the man bent to whisper to Walter, he was stopped with a raised hand.

“Everyone here can be trusted. Say what you have to say aloud, so I do not have to repeat it,” Walter ordered.

The aide swallowed nervously, but nodded. “Yes, Herr Lotus. Er, well, our spies report that the Meisters did indeed confront Venti and his dogs.”

“Excellent,” Walter said with a chuckle. “They will fight then, and be slowed down. Our position improves.”

“Uh, no, Herr Lotus,” the aide said, sweat breaking out on his forehead as he shook his head. “The Meisters did confront the Knights as planned, but, ah, they have not fought the Knights…”

“They stood aside? Bah. Vornehm is weak. Very well, we were prepared for that eventuality,” Walter said with a sneer, tossing down his knife in disgust.

“Not…exactly, Herr Lotus. You see…”

“Out with it!” Walter barked, and the messenger cringed.

“Sir…Vornehm and the Meisters, and the GSG…they have joined with the Knights, and are coming here now. They will arrive in mere hours.”

An explosion went off and the table cracked as Walter slammed his palm down, jumping to his feet as his face constricted in rage. Richard was on his feet as well at the news, feeling a mixture of outrage and disgust. And, though he tried to deny it, an increasingly large niggling worm of fear in his guts.

Panting, his suit blackened, his face purple with rage, Walter slowly stood, pulling his red kerchief out from his neck and wiping off his hands and face with it. “Very well. Then they shall die like the rest of the dogs.”

“Herr Lotus, if we attack the Meisters and the GSG, the government-”

“Fuck the government!” Walter snarled and snapped his fingers. “That for them! We would have had to throw out those fools in the Diet who serve the zionists regardless! We have simply moved up our timetable! With the Meisters and these so-called Knights destroyed, nothing can stop us from securing our dominion!”

Walter raised one hand in salute, and shouted, “HEIL THE FOURTH REICH!”

Everyone else, Richard included, mimicked the gesture, and the room resounded with cheers for a few moments.

Abruptly, Walter lowered his arm, and silence swiftly fell. Richard found himself leaning forward, holding his breath and listening.

“We will continue with Operation Werewolf,” Walter said, his tone calm and under control again. “Make their road here one paved in blood.”

Crouching amidst the copse of trees north of Witzelshofen, Schutzstaffel and her men watched the highway down below them. Off to her right, windmills spun in the breeze, and she could hear a dog barking in the distance over the roar of the traffic, probably from one of the nearby homes along the road. She had with her a dozen men, two of them blaster capes, and the others simply common thugs armed with RPGs and rifles.

There was a burst of static on her radio, followed by another. That was the signal from their lookouts, and she sneered.

“I cannot believe those fools are actually driving along the road,” she said, pointing to the spot she’d marked. “Wait for the first of their vehicles to pass. We hit them hard, then get out. Panzerfaust and his group will know to do the same.”

Her men nodded, and she gritted her teeth. She would make up for her failure, and prove herself to the Gesellschaft that she was no fool. She had been caught unawares last time, but not this time. Just a minute more, and those untermensch would feel her wrath.

She never looked up at the small shape high above her, gliding on the breeze. It was one of her men who cried out when something fell from above, hitting him on the head before bouncing off.

Everyone started, and Schutzstaffel instantly formed a barrier around them, shielding them from further attack before she even noticed what it was. When she did, she blinked in confusion at what she found.

A little red doll with bunny ears was dancing on the cold, leaf-strewn ground at her feet, vibrating back and forth, and making little squeaking sounds.

“What the fuck?” one of her men said, and leaned forward, frowning at the doll as the barrier flickered over his head.

Something niggled at the back of Schutzstaffel’s mind, but she couldn’t quite think what it was.

“A toy? Where’d it come from?” one of the capes asked, stepping forward.

“I don’t know, check it,” Schutzstaffle ordered. She had seen this before, but where?

The cape picked the gyrating bunny doll up, and it instantly squeaked, “Vengeance!”

Right before the doll exploded, Schutzstaffel remembered the last time she’d seen a Baron Bunny before. It had been right before it had detonated at the Frankfurt facility. It had been dark then, and the burst of smoke and flames had overridden the memory of the cutesy package.

If she hadn’t had her barrier up, Baron Bunny would have only caused some serious injuries, similar to how a flashbang would at close quarters, but it would likely have only killed the cape holding it. Unfortunately for them, Schutzstaffel’s barrier was a bit too close, keeping them ensconced in a space safe from outside attacks. As it was, the force of the blast reverberated inside of Schutzstaffel’s barrier, and killed her and ten of her companions, including both Parahumans. The two survivors were deaf for the rest of their lives, and one lost both arms and a leg, while the other was blind and missing all his teeth.

Panzerfaust’s squad across from her fared slightly better, in that they survived the Baron Bunny. Panzerfaust made the mistake of using his blaster abilities to send out a barrage of the small bomblets he could make towards the highway. A miraculous wind kicked up, however, blowing them right back in his face. They were defused, fortunately for the nazis.

Legend’s laser blasts, however, were not. It turned out that 90% power was still more than sufficient to scour the earth of filth, and Legend wasn’t in a charitable mood towards thugs who attempted to attack what they thought were civilian vehicles.

In the end, there were five survivors of the two dozen would-be ambushers, but none were able to report the total defeat. Perhaps they should have thought better of planning an ambush of the Knights of Favonius in such a windy place, but then again, no one had quite worked that out yet.

“I killed them!? But… but it was just a flashbang!” Vorreiter cried, tears filling her eyes. Rächerin reached out to place a hand on her friend’s shoulder, which only further cemented in Capri’s mind that those two were definitely banging. “I didn’t mean…”

“You successfully avenged our fallen comrades,” Rächerin said firmly, even as Vorreiter turned around and pressed her face into her friend’s chest. She rubbed the smaller woman’s back as she hiccuped. “It is well. We knew that this would be a battle, and that these monsters were past redemption.”

“They’re Nazis. Nothing of value was lost,” Capri said bluntly.

“But… but I’ve never killed anyone before,” Vorreiter hiccuped, her voice slightly muffled as her face was still pressed up against Rächerin’s costume. “I… I didn’t want to… I didn’t think…”

“Don’t be ashamed of your tears,” Legend said quietly. Capri started, looking up as the American hero landed beside them.

They had pulled off to the side of the road, traffic now blocked by the GSG in both directions. They’d been getting a police escort, with cars on the road ahead of them, but now, the route to Munich was being cleared in both directions before they would proceed forward. No one had been hurt in their little army, thanks to a “hint” from Venti that “there might be some trouble a couple of miles ahead.”

They’d had out scouts, of course, Vorreiter and Legend, along with a few other fliers, but they’d missed the ambush in their first flyover. When Venti had pointed out exactly where the ambush was at, they’d taken quick steps to blunt it, and succeeded. Rather spectacularly in Capri’s opinion, with a good start of eighteen dead Nazis.

“B-but… they were evil, right? W-was I wrong to kill them?” Vorreiter asked Legend nervously, peeking out from around Rächerin.

“Yes, they were evil,” Naomi said gently, coming over and giving the distraught Vorreiter a hug as well. “And no, you weren’t wrong to kill them.”

“But… then why… why should I not be ashamed of my tears?” the poor tinker asked, scrubbing at her eyes.

“Because it shows you’re still human,” Legend told her gently. “It shows that you’re not a monster. I’ve killed before. I will again, probably later on today, unless I miss my guess. But I don’t enjoy it. I never have. Never will. I feel sick each time. The nightmares…”  He breathed a heavy sigh, then removed his domino mask, and gave Vorreiter a pained smile. “You’ll probably have them too. If you can… find someone who’ll hold you when you wake up weeping. My partner does that for me. Without him…I don’t think I could get through some of those nights. Find a good doctor too, one who can help you.”

Looking sick, Vorreiter nodded. “I… yes. I’ll do that.”

She pushed away from the others, giving Rächerin a pained smile. “I’m OK. I’d better get back in the air. We need to watch for more attacks.”

“Are you certain?” Rächerin asked, looking pained herself, her eyes having gone red, with unshed tears straining to break free.

“Yeah,” Vorreiter managed with a heavy sigh. She forced a smile on her face. “Like you said. Vengeance! I don’t like it, but… well. They’re evil. We gave them a chance to stop. Lord Venti gave them many chances to stop. Now we make them stop.”

“And there’s only one way to stop Nazis,” Capri agreed, clenching her fist as electro arced over her knuckles. “Good on you, little bunny. Keep at it.”

“Right!” With one last hug for Rächerin, Vorreiter jogged back to her glider. She ran a few steps, then jumped off the berm, and took off into the sky. Her companion watched her go, the tall woman only now allowing tears to trickle down silently.

“Be safe,” Rächerin whispered.

Capri leaned in close. “So, how long have you two…?”

Rächerin turned, blinking at her. “Known one another? Since high school.”

“Right, but I mean, how long have you…” Capri made scissors with her fingers, then crudely jammed them together.

“Capri!” Naomi gasped and smacked Capri’s arms down.

Rächerin had gone beet red, while Legend was blushing, hastily replacing his mask and coughing as he stepped away. “W-we do not…that is, we are just friends!”

“Ah, come on, you can tell us,” Capri said with a wink, putting her arm around Naomi and dragging her close enough to plant a kiss on her partner's forehead as she squealed in protest.

“She is not, that is, we do not-! T-that is far too crude!” Rächerin blustered, still utterly embarrassed.

“Too bad. Try it sometime! She’ll need comforting later. If you need any tips, just ask, I’m very- OOOF!”

Withdrawing her elbow from Capri’s gut, Naomi gave her a flat look, then turned and smiled at Rächerin. “I apologize, Capri can be rather crude. But I do think she will need a friend in the coming days.”

“Ah, come on Naomi, you know they would be,” Capri began, grinning and rubbing her bruised ribs as she straightened. She cut off at Naomi’s cold and very disappointed look. “I mean, uh, you’d be a cute couple.”

“Uh… thank you?” Rächerin said, sounding rather dazed. She looked off into the sky, where Vorrieter was rapidly disappearing. “I confess, I had not thought…” she swallowed. “Stay safe, Amber. Come back to me…”

“Right, let’s get moving people!” Cookie’s voice called. “Saddle up! We got the all-clear! Stay sharp! No telling where more of those bastards could be hiding!”

Capri got back in the van, where Venti was pretending to nap in the back seat still, Naomi climbing into the passenger seat. Even without looking, Capri could feel the gaze.

“What?” Capri said as she started up the engine.

Naomi turned away from her. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You thought it really loud.”

Her response was a sniff, then, “Just keep your eye out. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Aw, are you worried about me?” Capri teased, easing the clutch and putting the van in first as she chugged away down the road.

The look her lover gave her dried up the humor Capri had been aiming for. It was full of hurt, fear, and anxiety. “Oh.”

“Hmm. Don’t pressure those two,” Naomi said, turning back around to scan the passing countryside.

“You know they’d be cute together…” Capri teased.

“Mmm.”

“Aw, come on, you know I’m worried about you too!” Capri said. She glanced in the back mirror, where Venti had his hat pulled over his eyes and was still pretending to nap. “Come on, back me up, Venti! They’d be cute, and I do care about Naomi!”

Venti let out a very ostentatious and distinctly unhelpful snore. Annoyingly, it also sounded vaguely amused.

“Jerk,” Capri grumbled. She put out a hand, holding it out toward Naomi. After a moment, the other woman took it, giving her hand a tight squeeze. When Naomi looked back at her, there were tears in her eyes. “Hey, it’ll be OK. We’ve got Barbatos on our side.”

“Yes,” Naomi said quietly, jerking a nod. “I just… I saw those bodies, Capri… and I just…”

“What? Fuck ‘em,” Capri growled, keeping her eyes on the road.

“Capri… Venti was right. They are people. They looked… They looked like any other dead people. When we searched the bodies… I found a picture of a little girl. That woman, Schutzstaffel…she was a mother…”

“So?” Capri demanded. Naomi tried to pull her hand away, and Capri sighed. “Look, I get it. You and that little rabbit are bleeding hearts. Which is why you need a big strong woman with a big sword to watch out for you and carve up the ugly bastards that threaten you.”

Naomi sniffed, and forced a pained smile on her face, jerking a nod.

“... and then screw your brains out to help you feel- OW! Pinching me with your powers is cheating! And don’t tell me that was Venti!” Capri squawked.

“I wouldn’t tell a lie,” Naomi sniffed. She sighed. “Honestly. You could deal with your tension in a less crude manner.”

“Hey, I’m nervous as hell. You remember how bad the jokes got before I met your parents? Because I kid you not, they will get worse now, because I’m fucking terrified,” Capri growled, her one handed grip on the steering wheel tightening until the faux leather creaked.

Naomi leaned over and brushed her lips over Capri’s cheek. “Well, then maybe the ‘big strong woman with a sword’ needs her delicate little flower to comfort her, and remind her that she can kick some posterior if it comes to it.”

“You can say ass, you know. Your mom can’t hear you,” Capri teased.

“I prefer to use a more refined vocabulary,” Naomi said with a roll of her eyes. Then her gaze softened. “But don’t worry, Capri. We’ll be fine. I promise.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll try not to sweat so much,” Capri sighed. Then she brightened. “Hey, did you hear the one about the two villages, the monk, and the mule?”

Naomi groaned loudly, but leaned back. “No…”

“Right, so, there’s these two villages across the river from one another. One has only men, the other only women…”

As Capri launched into her bawdy joke, her tension eased slightly, but she looked ahead of her. On the horizon, storm clouds were gathering, and she felt her guts try to go to liquid. She glanced in the mirror at the sleeping bum on her back seat and tried to reassure herself. It would all work out in the end, right?

Click, click.

Squeezing the handles of his grip strengthener, Eidolon frowned at the television. It was cold in his apartment in Houston, or at least, as cold as it got in Houston. It was in the upper 40s still, not freezing, but not warm. Still, he had on sweats as he sat on his couch, his strengthener clicking as he squeezed it.

“Fucking hell, Keith. What are you doing?” Eidolon growled, shaking his head. He glanced at the clock on the wall, and sighed. After 10pm. He should be in bed already.

He turned the TV off, put his trainer away, and went about his evening toilet. Ten minutes later, he crawled into bed, staring up at the ceiling. With a sigh, he reached over and turned on his bedside fan. It was pointed away from him, but he needed the white noise to sleep.

As the machine whirred softly, he closed his eyes, his head resting on the pillow. Part of him wanted to be over there, helping his friend, fighting those Nazi fucks. Part of him wanted to chew Keith out for breaking ranks, and disrupting their plan. He forced his mind to still, his heart to slow, and drifted off to sleep.

In his dreams, he dreamed of an egg the size of a building. He was trying to keep the egg from hatching, deep fear in his heart of what would happen when it did. Try as he might though, he couldn’t quite manage it, and cracks appeared in the egg. He screamed, and fell down, his powers draining from him.

A worthy foe.

He tried to say no, but the cracks in the shell deepened, and darkness oozed out.

When he awoke in a cold sweat, Eidolon felt drained and weak. He stumbled to the bathroom, relieved himself, and got a glass of water. He collapsed in exhaustion, and was soon asleep again.

Across the world, Venti’s eyes shot open.

“Well then. Looks like I’m needed after all…”